The present invention relates to a sheet separating and feeding apparatus adapted to separate and individually feed sheets, stacked in a large number in accommodation means by their own weight, sequentially from the bottom of the accommodation means, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for separating and sequentially individually feeding bank notes, stacked in a large number in an accommodation box, the bottom of the accommodation box.
An apparatus for separating and feeding sheets of paper such as bank notes stacked in a large number in an accommodation box is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-8890, wherein the bank notes are stacked in the accommodation box while being inclined in a downward feeding direction, and an eccentric roller effects the feeding, and an eccentric roller contacts with the center of the lowermost surface of the accommodated bank notes with respect to the feeding direction, a feeding roller positioned on the lower part side of the inclined bank notes, and a friction roller in contact with the feeding roller. Rotation of the eccentric roller loosens a stack of the accommodated bank notes, while the feeding roller and the friction roller constitute together a separation section to separate and feed the bank notes. The apparatus thus arranged can easily separate bank notes, particularly new bank notes which have large resistance therebetween, but gradually loses its ability to separate bank notes as the degree of wear increases, so that notes which have long been in circulation may not be separated. Additionally, because bank notes are accommodated in an inclined state, the efficiency of accommodating bank notes is low and this requires a larger apparatus.
Furthermore, when a pile of bank notes are stacked to effectively utilize a space for accommodating bank notes, it is difficult to separate and feed the bank notes one by one simply by rotating the eccentric roller. This tendency becomes significant particularly when many bank notes are stacked in a single stack.